


Thirty Years

by Hekate1308



Category: Endeavour (TV), Inspector Morse (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 03:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19417633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: Robbie had heard of Morse, of course. The legend of the Oxford City Police, the one who solved the most difficult and complicated cases.And then there were the… other things he had heard as well. Coppers like to gossip just as much as other people, and in this case, it had probably been inevitable that he knew all there was to know about a certain aspect of DCI Morse’s life within a few minutes of first stepping foot into the canteen.





	Thirty Years

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't even ship Morse and Jakes that much but... well I caught feels and I haven't seen this before, so... Enjoy!

Robbie had heard of Morse, of course. The legend of the Oxford City Police, the one who solved the most difficult and complicated cases.

And then there were the… other things he had heard as well. Coppers like to gossip just as much as other people, and in this case, it had probably been inevitable that he knew all there was to know about a certain aspect of DCI Morse’s life within a few minutes of first stepping foot into the canteen.

The thing was that it didn’t interest Robbie one bit. How people lived their lives – as long as they did nothing illegal – was none of his business.

And so he’d simply listened to the jokes and the sneers and had done his best to ignore them.

* * *

He didn’t recognize the man who came to Anne Staveley’s house, but DCI Bell did. “Well, we can say one thing for sure.”

“What is that, sir?”

“Morse didn’t come here for some afternoon delight. _His sort_ doesn’t go in for that sort of thing.”

“You mean cheating, sir?” Robbie asked innocently but all the answer he got was a sneer.

* * *

To say he was surprised to find DCI Morse at the house later would have been an understatement.

They ended up in a pub. After they had talked about the case while drinking juice Morse studied him with shrewd eyes and then said, “I assume you’ve heard about me and Peter?”

“Someone might have mentioned something” he replied.

Morse snorted. “More like chattered behind our backs like a couple of old ladies.” He was clearly waiting for Robbie’s reaction.

“You’ve been together for a while then, sir?”

He blinked, then relaxed. “Twenty-two years and counting.”

“It’s been fifteen for me and Val” he replied.

Morse was looking at him with something like respect in his eyes now; Robbie felt like he had passed a test.

“Got some more years to go, then.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, sir” he said simply.

And then Morse smiled. “No, I suppose not.” And Robbie had to admit to himself that Bell had been right, after all; it was extremely unlikely that Morse had come to visit Anne Staveley for some… rumpy-pumpy; but not because of the reason he’d given. No, the expression on Morse’s face was one he saw everyday in the mirror – the expression of someone who was still in love with his partner after many years together, and would never risk losing them.

“Sir, do you mind – I mean –“

“Out with it, man!”

“Why were you there? I don’t mean now – why did you go to Anne Staveley’s home after she was found?”

“I knew Anne from the choir. Me and Peter had had her over for dinner a few times” he shrugged. “And lately, I thought she’d been a bit… well, sad. I wanted to check up on her.”

Really, for the reputation Morse had gained, he was rather nice underneath it all; but Robbie was careful not to mention it. “So, it could be suicide?”

“I guess” Morse admitted, reluctantly. “But I have the feeling there’s more behind it.”

There was, of course. Robbie soon learned that usually happened to be the case when Morse was concerned.

“Illegal it would have been, too” Robbie said when Morse explained his theory about this chap Sophocles to him. “Her own son…”

“That probably didn’t matter, really” Morse replied. “Back when Peter and I got together, it was illegal too.”

Robbie frowned. “But they decriminalized – it some time in the sixties, didn’t they?”

“Oh yes, it became legal for two males to do what they wanted in their own homes, imagine that.” Morse took a sip of his juice. “Not that anyone could have gone after us even before that. DI Thursday – he was our governor back in the day – he wouldn’t have allowed anything to happen to us. Superintendent Bright was there, too. I didn’t think he’d figured it out, but at his retirement party, he told us to take good care of each other.” Morse paused. “We kept in close contact until they…” he trailed off.

Robbie kept silent. Sometimes there simply wasn’t anything to say.

* * *

Shortly after their first case, Robbie went to pick Morse up in the morning. As the guys had told him, there was a good chance he’d only show up sometime after lunch if he didn’t. Robbie already knew better, though – this didn’t mean Morse wasn’t working; he’d either be going through the case in his mind over and over again or pursue his own enquiries.

He was not surprised when Morse’s partner answered the door, studying him intently. Val was like this, too; always making certain that those who were supposed to be working with him and ensuring his safety were up to the job. “Sergeant Lewis I presume?”

“Yes, sir. Robbie, sir.”

“Peter is quite enough. Come in. Endeavour’s taking a shower.”

He managed to keep a straight face.

“I know. But I wasn’t going to call my husband by his last name forever.”

Another pause.

“Didn’t even flinch. A good sign.”

“I just think it’s ridiculous – I mean – there should – “

“Oh, I know. We probably won’t live to see the day where we can actually get married, but we’ve made sure that in the eyes of the law, we’re as good as” he said simply, leading him to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

Robbie wasn’t surprised to realize that he was wearing a wedding ring as he poured their drinks.

Morse came into the kitchen soon afterwards, smiling first at his partner, then greeting Robbie. “Lewis.”

“Sir.”

“I assume I can expect you somewhere around midnight?” Perter sighed, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that suggested this was just part of the usual banter that occurred between them.

“Just think of it as me coming in rather early tomorrow” Morse shot back and Robbie took a sip of his coffee to hide his smile.

“I can’t even say I don’t know how it is” he sighed. “Still” he turned to Robbie “Just make sure he’s careful, will you?”

“I’ll do my best, s- Peter.”

“All I can ask for. Still glad I decided to start teaching at the academy instead, though. Less chance of running into trouble, at least.”

“I haven’t gotten injured on the job in _months_ ” Morse complained.

“You got a bang on the head during your very first case with Robbie here!”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Why?”

Morse apparently couldn’t come up with an answer, so instead he said, “Well then Lewis, time to go.”

Really, giving the besotted look Peter shot him, it was a small wonder that they were still together after all these years. Robbie slipped quietly out of the kitchen to give them some privacy.

“Not one curious glance Lewis. I’m impressed” Morse told him in the car.

Rather unsure whether or not he had insulted him, he began, “I –“

“Relax, man. Just saying – normally, anyone working with me would be gossiping about us behind our backs right now.”

“I’ve got better things to do.”

“I’ve noticed.”

* * *

“Uncle Endeavour!”

The look Morse shot Robbie as he chased the kiddies around the garden very much suggested that if anything of this made its way around the nick, he’d wring his neck, but Peter and Val were laughing, the former fishing a camera out of his bag.

“Peter!”

“Now, now, this is _too_ cute –“

Robbie recognized the expression on his governor’s face from Val after some of their few disagreements over the years. After he and his family had left, Morse and Peter would either have a row of epic proportions or… well…

But it was really none of his business.

* * *

To say that everyone on the floor could hear Peter Jakes shouting at Superintendent Strange would have been an understatement. Robbie was rather sure that everyone in the _building_ was listening.

“This is ridiculous, Jim! I don’t even know where to start. Endeavour as a murderer? Or him cheating on me after all these years! Are you insane?!”

“I like this as little as you do Peter, but I didn’t have a choice. Plus, Lewis is already on the case –“

“Robbie? The Robbie who shouldn’t even be allowed to be on the –“ Peter fell silent.

“Exactly” Strange answered dryly. “Now I assume you want to see your partner?”

“Yes, please.”

It was Robbie – who had very much not been hanging around in the hope of finding out how their talk was going – who led him to Morse’s cell.

“And it’s not even the first time” he grumbled, mostly to himself. “Endeavour woke ups creaming for years after they put him in jail back in the day.”

That certainly explained why Morse looked worse than Robbie had ever seen him. “We’ll set this right, Peter.”

He looked at Robbie then, and nodded.

He didn’t enter the cell with him. Better allow Peter to calm his partner down.

By the end of the week, Morse was home, and Peter invited them to dinner once more.

* * *

Peter looked – different than usual.

Robbie’s heart sank as he remembered how Morse had talked about his ex-fiancée, the last few days.

Good God, he could have sworn there were actually tears in Peter’s eyes as he poured him a cup of tea. “He can’t help but think it would have been easier” he finally said, flatly.

“Peter –“

“It _would_ have been. For both of us. There were so many times we came close to – well, to get arrested before this – us – was legal in any way, or at least to losing our jobs… It would have been so much –“

“But Peter, he still chose you” he said, somewhat helplessly. Try as he might to see Morse as nothing but his superior officer on the job, this was still the couple they’d had over for dinner (and vice versa)n countless times and that had actually babysat for them quite a bit, too; and a happy, blissful couple too, at least that was what Robbie had believed until now.

“Yes. But… well… I can’t measure up to his first love, can I.”

“Of course you can!” Now Robbie was on safer ground. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Morse loved Peter just as much as he loved him.

Peter was clearly unconvinced, and he knew then and there that he had to intervene.

Unsure of how to broach the topic, he eventually ventured forth with “Me and Val’s wedding anniversary is coming up.”

At least it startled Morse out of his reverie. “Oh? You need a babysitter again, Robbie, is that it?”

“Maybe _two_ , sir. You know our two rascals.”

It seemed to do the trick. Morse suddenly took a deep breath and glanced at his ring finger – it was one of the rare days where he, as opposed to Peter, who never seemed to take his off, had actually remembered to put it on, and Robbie took it as a good sign.

That night, Morse went home early and was late to work the next day. It was probably for the best. Robbie wouldn’t have wanted him to be in when the news about Susan Fallon’s death broke.

* * *

Robbie beamed when Morse asked him. It was like Val had said as soon as the law was being discussed – what did it matter that the two bridegrooms were long since retired and close to eighty? Two people who’d loved each other for decades were getting married and Robbie was only too glad to serve as best man.

Jim Strange and his family were there as well, of course, plus about half of the nick. Morse had seemed surprised at how many people had shown up, while Peter had simply looked around with a self-satisfied smirk that Morse had then kissed off his face in front of everyone.

“You may now kiss your husband.”

Robbie was rather sure it was Val who was sniffling into her handkerchief behind him, and he had to blink away a few tears as well.


End file.
